Rob Ford compares council session to Iraq invading Kuwait

Council chamber gets rowdy as members debate motion

A Monday afternoon special meeting at Toronto City Hall turned to chaos as Mayor Rob Ford’s job was reduced to being mayor in name only.

With a vote of 36 to 5, council approved a series of motions that stripped Ford’s job down to his statutory duties, slashing his budget by 60 per cent and paring his staff down to approximately eight people. The deputy mayor, Coun. Norm Kelly, will take over many of Ford’s former duties. Ford, as you can imagine, isn’t pleased.

“What’s happened here today is not a democratic process, this is a dictatorship process,” said the mayor. “If you vote in favour of any of these motions you’re absolutely telling everybody that voted in the last municipal election that their vote does not count.”

“I want people to listen to me tonight, eight to nine on Sun News,” he said. “You will get my side of the story. Unfiltered.”

Ford argued that slashing his staff and budget would render him unable to return the 3,000 letters, 46,000 “CMS” messages, 138,000 emails and 123,000 phone calls to his office he said he receives each year. His home, cell and OnStar numbers, he said, recieve 22,000 calls per year.

“This is virtually impossible to do with eight people and the numbers I gave you,” he said.

“How can I run the office as mayor with the numbers I just gave, which you know are accurate, with eight people in my office?”

He asked Coun. John Filion, who introduced the motion, whether council was attempting to directly or indirectly impeach him.

“My preference was that you not place us in this position. What’s before us is what council can legitimately do,” said Coun. Filion.

Ford tag-teamed his questioning with brother Coun. Doug Ford, who called Monday’s proceedings a “kangaroo court.” He complained that councillors only got the amended copy of the motion 26 minutes before council convened.

“Do you feel with those amount of calls … do you think reducing his office budget gives him the ability to be the CEO of the mayor of this city and fulfill his role?” Coun. Ford asked Coun. John Filion, who introduced the motion.

“This is not democracy. Is that fair, that we get a motion 26 minutes before we decide,” said Coun. Ford.

Toronto City Councillor Doug Ford makes his way to the council chamber as councillors look to pass motions to limit the powers of his brother, Mayor Rob Ford, in Toronto on Monday November 18, 2013. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young)

Coun. Filion brought the motion forward because, according to a notice, “it appears that a majority of members of Council and a significant number of members of the Executive Committee have expressed serious concerns about the Mayor’s ability to lead the City government at this time.”

Ford has been entangled in a scandal since May when Gawker and the Toronto Star revealed they’d seen a video of the mayor appearing to smoke crack cocaine. Since then, Ford has admitted to smoking the drug and drinking and driving and made crude comments on live television. Police say they are now in possession of the video and Ford’s occasional driver, Alexander “Sandro” Lisi has been charged with extortion, allegedly in relation to that video.

Throughout the scandal, Ford has refused to either resign or take a temporary leave of absence. He’s insisted that he’s seeing a team of healthcare professionals, going to the gym and cutting back on alcohol.

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford (right) gestures to Councillor Paul Ainslie in the council chamber as councillors look to pass motions to limit his powers in Toronto on Monday, November 18, 2013. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young)